Sunday, November 25, 2012

The Sunday Times .............................................................................................................................................................................................

Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake accompanied by her laywers attended the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) sittings which took up the impeachment motion against her today morning. Further sittings were fixed for December 4.

The Chief Justice has been given time to file a response to the allegations before November 30.

The committee presided over by Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa met at 10.30 a.m, but the Chief Justice was called in for the inquiry around 11.20 a.m. The sittings lasted until 1.00 p.m.

Mrs Bandaranayake left the premises with her lawyers, but made no comments to the media who were waiting at the entrance. Standing orders preclude the media reporting details of the sittings.

Earlier hundreds of lawyers protested outside the Superior Court complex in Hulfsdorp and chanted slogans agaisnt the impeachment motion on the CJ while court workers held a Bodhi pooja today morning.

Ms Bandaranayake accompanied by her lawyer left the Supreme Court complex around 9.30 am.. Several other lawyers followed in several vehicles. Among them were Romesh de Silva, PC, Saliya Peiris and Sujeewa Senasinghe.

In the morning a number of judges called on the CJ showing solidarity with her while lawyers standing outside the court premises held placards and chanted slogans against the impeachment motion. 'Withdraw the Impeachment motion", "Do not interfere into the judiciary", "Do not bring false allegations agaisnt the CJ" were some of the slogans chanted.

More than 100 court workers gathered at a nearby temple to attend a Bodhi Pooja to bring blessings on the CJ.

In Parliament, special security arrangements have been placed with additional police guards near the entrance while photographers who had arrived have been told to move out.

A large presence of media personnel, including photographers are standingoutside the parliamentary complex.

More than 15 journalist were at the entrance and were advised by the police not to capture pictures even using their phone-cameras.

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